What is the perfume hoax?

Since as early as 1999, the myth or the urban legend of the perfume hoax has been circulating to millions over emails. Many know what is the perfume hoax and many don’t. For those who don’t, here is a short summary of what it is.

Many years ago, internet users started getting emails about how burglars acting as perfume sellers robbed a couple by incapacitating the victims with the ether in the perfume bottles. The story seems quite genuine and believable. The problem, however, started when people started editing and adding more to the story, to provoke more interest.

So why should you care about it?

If you think this so-called genuine story should be forwarded to all your friends – this email comes with the ‘PLEASE FORWARD IR TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW’ request – so they can be vigilant if some perfume seller approaches them in the parking lot, you might be mistaken. You might actually be helping the online scammer to get more contacts. How? Many online scammers start circulating such stories so you (internet user) send it to everyone you know. But you never bother to remove all the email ids that came with the forwarded email. Eventually, when this mail reaches the original creator (the scammer), it is full of genuine email ids, which they later use to send spam mails or ‘You have won a jackpot emails’.

Besides, there are many genuine perfume sellers who try to sell their products by asking people to test the fragrance at public places. Due to such email hoaxes, more and more are scared to smelling perfumes offered by salesmen on streets or parking lots. This is affecting their work. In fact, many find such people suspicious and call the police. However, no such incidents of robbery by perfume salesmen have been reported in the police. These emails are simply circulated by scammers to acquire more emails ids to make more victims.

Now that you know what is the perfume hoax, try not to forward such emails. If you forward it, don’t be surprised if, within weeks, you receive email mentioning that more than a million bucks are waiting for you in a Nigerian bank, which obviously is a scam.

This website is an source, a guide of all the things in the world. From basic definition to complex processes to weird things around the world, WhatIsAll.com has an answer to all your ‘What’ questions. Browse through various categories and sharpen your intellect.